From 13 February the Red House Museum will host the exhibition, 100 Years of Girl Guides, Christchurch which looks at the exciting activities that local girls and young women have taken part in over the past 100 years. The Girl Guides was founded after Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, decided girls should not be in the same organisation as the boys, and so established the movement in the UK in 1910.

Over the years, thousands of girls and young women from Christchurch and the local area have been pushing the boundaries, enjoying new experiences and having their voices heard through guiding. The exhibition will show how guiding has always been at the forefront of providing girls with modern and relevant experiences as well as celebrating the achievements of local members from the very beginnings of the movement through to the modern day.

Visitors to the exhibition can expect to hear about the impact that guiding has made on Christchurch, such as how the girl guides assisted the Home Guard during World War 2.

Sheila Leete, Division Commissioner Twynham, said ‘This is a great chance for people to come along and find out more about guiding and why it has been so important to Christchurch and the local area. For 100 years we have been putting girls in the lead and supporting them to have life-changing experiences in a unique girl-only space, whether that is learning out about something new in their weekly meetings or travelling abroad to see another culture. So come along and celebrate with us, you can even find out what guiding could offer you too!’